Ember Chains
by SwimmerLife
Summary: Zuko is captured at the Boiling Rock and can't be rescued. When Azula arrives, she decides that there is more use to him than rotting in prison. Now his newfound friends must save him from spending eternity as... Ty Lee, Mai, and Azula's personal servant?
1. Chapter 1

This is an idea I have not seen before, and I thought I would try it and see what reviewers say! Everyone review and tell me what you think! It would make me so happy, I promise, I would immediately update!

* * *

"Zuko!" Sokka yelled, looking horrified as he watched me fall to the ground in front of Mai.

"Go Sokka! I'll find a way!" I yelled, rolling away from the knives Mai was throwing at me. When Sokka hesitated, I narrowed my eyes. "GO!" I roared at my companion. As they retreated from my line of sight, I prayed that I would see them again. I looked back at the three dangerous girls standing over me, and really hoped that I was lucky for once in my life.

"Throw him back into the cell!" Azula screamed at the warden. I was pulled onto my feet and roughly pushed inside the prison. Just before I was out of earshot, my younger sister said more calmly, "I will see to his punishment later." The thought of Azula's idea of punishment sent chills up my spine.

* * *

Late that night, well after the guard had brought the measly supper of porridge, I was sitting silently in the center of the cell. I tried to just forget about what Azula had said, but the pangs of fear would not let go of my mind. I hated fear, but this was no childish fear. The promise of a visit from Azula could send a grown man into panic. The only reason I wasn't panicking was because I was so used to that threat that the only thing that was scaring me was her 'punishments'. I would probably end up dead.

I was shaken out of my frantic thoughts by the slamming of the stone door. I looked up sullenly to find Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee standing in the doorway. Ty Lee looked nervous, and Mai looked a little less bored that usual. Azula looked deadly.

"Well, Zuzu, it looks like you are worthless after all. You're worthless to the Fire Nation and your little pathetic friends. If they can even call you their friend. Didn't you chase them around for the longest time?" Azula snickered as she mocked me, and she seemed hopeful that she had hit a nerve. She had.

I refused to speak, turning my gaze towards the disgusting stone floor.

"Oh, you won't speak, huh? I can make you do that soon enough." Azula sneered, pulling me up from the wooden chair. She dragged me by the arm out the cell door. I snuck a glance back at Mai, whose eyes flashed dangerously as she pulled one of her knives out of her sleeve in warning. It was clear I was not going to escape. At least I could try, right?

I wrenched my arm from Azula's grasp, taking a hasty step towards the railing and the room below. I started to run, but my attempt was cut off by a jet of blue flames in my face. Wrong. There was no escaping from Azula.

Azula spun me around and pushed me against the wall. "Listen closely brother. We have decided that death isn't good enough for you. Maybe servitude will be. We were going to put makeup on that ugly scar of yours and sell you to one of the higher Fire Nation generals, but since you insist on not cooperating, I guess the three of us will have to be your masters." She growled.

"I'd rather die." I yelled in her face.

"I am shocked that you hate me so much Zuzu! Oh well, it's not your choice anyway." Azula sneered.

She stepped back, only for her spot to be replaced by Ty Lee. The acrobat jabbed at my neck with her right hand, but I ducked to the side away from her hand. I realized too late that in my haste to get away from her blow, she had slipped her other hand under my elbows so I couldn't move my arms.

I cursed softly, only to be reprimanded sharply by the girl in front of me. "No cursing!" Ty Lee scolded with a slap to the side of my head. She then pushed me in front of her as we continued walking. I grumbled under my breath as Azula lead the way into a room where the warden and his guards were. The guards bowed on the ground as Azula entered, and the warden bowed deeply at the waist.

"Do you wish to have guards accompany you, princess?" The warden asked hastily.

"No. I wish to leave as soon as I have proper restraints for the traitor." Azula said with a smirk in my direction.

The guards moved to put the iron chains they had been holding on me. I growled and kicked out at them, trying to scare them away. They were not putting chains on me! Just as I brought my leg back down so I could kick the other guard, Ty Lee jabbed at my chi points so that I couldn't move. As the guards began locking the chains onto my wrists and ankles, Azula broke the silence.

"Ty Lee, let him move again. I want him to see how useless struggling is." She ordered. The acrobat girl did as she was told, hitting me again in the chi points. I wasn't going to play into their game. So, I pretended that it didn't work. I stayed stock still as the guards finished locking the chains, gluing a horrified look onto my face. Mai didn't seem to fall for it, but Azula and Ty Lee did.

"It didn't work! What did you do!" Azula screamed. I had to resist the urge to grin at them.

"I um- It's never failed before!" Ty Lee stammered. I bit back a snicker and watched Ty Lee's fearful expression in silence. Movement caught my eye. Mai had moved into the corner of my vision, and I could see her small smile as she watched the scene in front of us. I couldn't help it after that.

I started laughing softly, drawing the attention of the warden and my sister.

"He's not frozen princess. Though I have to say, your brother is quite the actor." The warden said, turning to Azula and Ty Lee. Azula ignored his comment.

"You think you can get out of this, being tricky like that, brother? Well I can tell you right now, it's not going to work! If you try it again, you are in for a world of pain and humiliation, do you hear me?" She threatened, lighting a small flame in right front of my eyes. I felt a fresh wave of fear as her words sink into my mind, and when I tried to step back away from her flame, I found a blade pressing into my back.

I nodded hurriedly, dreading what these three could do to me while I was in this new _position_.

Azula stepped away from my face, extinguishing her flame. She composed herself, and she turned around and addressed the warden and his guards cheerfully. "That will be all! We will be leaving now."

Azula pushed me into the war balloon, smirking when I tripped on the chains and fell on my face. As I pulled myself off the floor, that constant feeling of dread filled me again. How was I going to get out of this?


	2. Chapter 2

It turned out that Azula had a private estate only an hour from the Boiling Rock. As soon as the war balloon landed, I found myself hurtling towards the ground again. The last thing I saw before complete blackness was Mai standing over me with a look of distaste on her face.

* * *

When I woke from the darkness, the first thing I noticed was the throbbing pain in the side of my head. Mai must have knocked me out with the handle of her knife. At least they had removed the chains on my wrists and ankles. I pushed myself up off of the hard floor of the small prison-like room I was in, only to find that when I moved away from the wall there was a strange pulling around my neck.

I reached up to touch my neck. A band of metal chilled my fingers when I touched it, and I turned to find the end of a chain attached to the wall from the restraint. What did they think I was, a dog?

"You like it Zuzu? We had it specially made just for you." Azula said lazily from the doorway, pretending to inspect her fingernails. I jumped, not expecting her to be there. "We have lots of use for you, you won't have to worry about getting bored, brother. Isn't that fun?" She said cheerily, but I could see right through her charade. I knew that whatever she was going to do to me would be the opposite of fun.

"Azula?" Ty Lee called from outside the room. Azula motioned with her hand for the pink girl to come in.

"Go crazy. I have things to do, see you later." Azula stated blatantly, walking away.

"Come on, Zuko, this is gonna be fun!" Ty Lee squealed, pulling my arm. She seemed to have forgotten about the chain around my neck. I gasped as the pressure cut off my breathing. She beamed at me, reaching behind me to unhook a clip on the chain. I tumbled forward, not expecting the sudden release from the wall.

I was being pulled through the halls by Ty Lee when Mai came out of a doorway and grabbed her hand.

"You missed the door." She stated with a sigh.

"Oh. It's set up though! Did you see it?" The acrobat girl said.

"I did." Mai said, turning around and walking into the room. Ty Lee pulled me behind them past a table full of knives, and up to a disk on the wall with leather restraints on it.

"What is that?" I said, eyeing the knives and Mai distrustfully. Mai ignored my question and pushed my shoulders against the disk.

"Stay." She said to me, reaching down to strap my right wrist down.

"Why do you all keep acting like I'm a dog or something?" I complained, trying to pull my hand away from her uncaring touch.

"Be quiet and be still." Mai scolded, pulling the leather strap tighter before moving on to my other hand and then my ankles. I struggled against the straps when she finished, wincing as the leather cut into my arms. Then she moved away from the wheel to her table of knives.

"Will you quit squirming, you're just making me want to do this even more." Mai threw a curved dagger, watching as it thudded against the wood between my thighs.

"I've wanted to do this for the longest time." Another dagger landed next to my shoulder.

"I wanted to throw my knives at you, just close enough to your skin that I could see the fear on your eyes, but not close enough to cause a wound." Another hit fearfully close to my burnt ear. I looked away in a feeble attempt to hide the panicked fear in my eyes. That was what she wanted.

"I hate you for leaving me without even saying goodbye." Her knife hit next to my side. "Spin him." She ordered Ty Lee.

"WHAT?" I screamed, struggling again against the leather bindings on the wheel.

"Shut up." Mai said to me. As Ty Lee spun the wheel, Mai threw daggers at me, and I could see her satisfaction when I stared at her in fear. She wouldn't just kill me then, right? Hadn't she said she wasn't going to injure me?

My vision started to swirl as the wheel spun around. The room became a haze of daggers and fear as Ty Lee spun me faster and faster until I felt like I was going to throw up. Suddenly, Mai yelled out for Ty Lee to stop the wheel. My sight leveled out once the wheel stopped moving. I watched Mai's last dagger fly through the air, trying desperately to hide how scared I was.

The dagger seemed to move in slow motion as all three of us watched its progress towards me. It embedded itself in the wood an inch from the top of my head with a thump. I released the breath I had been holding, trying to remind myself that Mai wouldn't just kill me. Azula had said they had use for me, so that meant they weren't going to kill me, right?

The slightest bit of relief joined the constant feelings of dread and minor fear. Mai looked me in the eye, but despite her bored expression, I could see pity and sympathy in her eyes. I wanted neither.

Ty Lee approached the wheel, seeming to think I was weakened. She quickly released me from the straps. I collapsed on the floor, grunting from the pain of having to hold myself up for so long. I untangled my limbs, trying unsuccessfully to lift myself up to stand. I fell in a heap beneath their feet.

"You're weak." Mai said accusingly. I gritted my teeth, hating myself for abandoning my training while in the Earth Kingdom. I was not in top shape, but I was still strong.

" I am not weak." I growled, pushing myself up again to face her. She shook her head and said in a bored voice,

"You can't even find the strength to stand, and all I did was hang you on a wheel, throw daggers, and spin you." Mai turned and walked toward the door, her heels clicking as she neared the hallway. I let out a feral growl and swung an arc of flame at her feet, groaning as she easily jumped over it. I was granted a tiny satisfaction as a small corner of her dress sizzled.

Mai's expression darkened. She marched angrily back towards me, towering over me and glaring at me threateningly. "Call Azula. We have to deal with this now." She addressed Ty Lee, who summersaulted out of the room to find my sister. Mai then turned back at me, her gaze icy as she spoke. "Having your boyfriend as a slave is bad enough, I'm not going to let you attack me." She flipped a knife out of her sleeve, pressing the point against my collarbone.

A tiny glimmer of hope formed in my mind. I couldn't get out of here alone, but maybe Mai still loved me a little? She had called me her boyfriend. That would make this entire predicament more bearable. My hopes were crushed with her next words.

"Can I really call you my boyfriend anymore, after you left on some useless search for the Avatar?" Her tone had dropped the anger, and she talked in her usual bored voice again. That didn't change her words, though.

I shrank back from her blade and lowered my eyes to the ground. I regretted that decision more than anything. When I tried to tell her that, Azula came barging into the room. She was holding what looked like an ostrich-horse crop. My eyes widened at the sight of her furious expression.

* * *

"Tell me Zuzu, why is Mai's dress BURNT?" Azula snarled, and I flinched when she pushed my chin up with the end of the crop. A frighteningly deadly look appeared in her eyes. Without warning, she wrenched my shirt off me. I cried out, not expecting the sudden intrusion. Azula pulled me up and forced me to bend over the table.

I struggled against her, growling as she motioned to Ty Lee. The acrobat moved in front of me and held my wrists down. I grunted, trying to pull away, but my movement was cut of as a sharp blow was administered to my hips.

Azula snickered as she whipped my backside with her crop. I howled in pain when the crop hit my tailbone. The blows moved up my back, leaving a path of stinging marks. I could faintly hear Ty Lee trying to convince me to loosen my muscles, and her fingernails were cutting into my wrists as she kept me from squirming.

Mai asked Azula if she could leave, because apparently my pain was _boring_. Azula laughed cruelly and insisted she stayed to watch my punishment. Mai begrudgingly accepted my sister's request, watching me in silence as I tried to kick out. I could hear myself screaming, but all I could think about was the pain. It overwhelmed my mind, pushing everything else away.

Eventually my voice gave out, and the room fell into silence, except for the relentless slap of Azula's crop against the thin fabric of my pants. Every inch of my back and bum stung, and my sister seemed intent on tanning my hide. My vision began to cloud, dots swirling around in front of my eyes.

Ty Lee broke the gap in conversation. "He looks like he's gonna pass out, Azula." Her voice sounded...worried? Since when did any of them care? I saw Mai look at me with pity in her eyes. I would have been angry, but I was still in too much pain to think properly. Azula groaned and reluctantly stopped her blows. Ty Lee released my wrists, and I collapsed in a heap under the table.

My sister scowled down at me, reaching the crop down so it was in front of my eyes. "From now on, you will not firebend unless told to do so. If you do, we will repeat the punishment until the command gets through your think skull." Azula sneered, promptly turning and marching away. Mai and Ty Lee followed in silence. They left me where I was, collapsed and bloody. Azula had beat me for more than half an hour.

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Me: I am renting Zuko and Azula's crop to anyone who leaves a helpful review!

Zuko: WHAT? You already tortured me!

Me: Be quiet. I have medication that will make it not scar.

Zuko: AAAAHH!


	3. 3- Ty Lee

**Interception- Ty Lee**

A/N: This chapter is from Ty Lee's perspective. I'm going to do this from time to time, giving insight to the opinions of the girls. Once the gaang moves into the picture, I'll do them too. All the 'interceptions' will be first person, and I will always announce the interceptions so you don't get confused.

* * *

I walked through the halls silently, following Azula and Mai until they both entered their rooms. Continuing to walk, I pondered on Zuko's aura as we had left. It had been a dark purple color. Blue was sad or hopeless, and red was angry. It had pained me to see him like that, defeated and crumpled on the floor.

I turned into my room, which was covered in a reddish pink color. I knew Azula and Mai didn't care if I wandered to halls, since they knew I would do it anyway. I stood up from the bed and walked on my hands past my friends' doors. I wanted them to think I was on a careless trip to the kitchen, like I had done many nights before. Once I was around the bend of the hall, I dropped onto my feet again.

I knew he would still be there. He didn't know the way back to the cell-like room Azula had placed him in, and I doubted he could even get up after the beating he had received. A few minutes later, I reached the doorway. As I had thought, he was still curled at the end of the table, hiding his face as if he expected another blow. I crouched next to him, reaching out to touch him. I stopped, my hand hovering just above the bare skin of his arm. I expected him to flinch away, or growl and strike out at me.

Instead, he let out a faint warning noise, but he allowed me to touch him. I had the sudden urge to pick him up and carry him like he was a wounded puppy. Not even stopping to think, I scooped my arms under him, grinning as he groaned and curled into himself. I thanked Agni that he seemed to be half asleep, because as I lifted him up, he pressed his shoulder against my torso. I grunted, shifting from foot to foot as I fought to maintain balance. He was sort of heavy.

"Mother?" He mumbled drowsily, flickering his eyes open. I giggled, shifting my arms to hold him better.

"Eh, I'll take it." I said, trying to suppress a fit of giggles. Zuko had just called me his mother! I hoped Azula and Mai never found out about this. Even though I wasn't one to tease people, Azula would never let him live this down. Shifting my weight, I moved so I was carrying him bridal style.

I snuck past my friends' rooms, sliding the door to my own room shut behind me as I gently shifted Zuko until I could see his back. I placed him, face down, on the bed as I foraged around in my drawers for medication that would work for soothing his pain. Finally, I found the right cream. Not only would it clear the pain, it would clean the cuts from the sharp edge of the leather.

"Hold still, this will sting for a few minutes." I warned him, laying a hand down on his shoulder. He grunted, seeming to realize who I was, considering he snuck a glare at me out of the corner of his eye. I frowned, trying to ignore it as I spread cream along his upper back. He hissed, fumbling with his hands as he attempted to pry the bottle from me.

"That hurts!" He growled, struggling against me as I held his arms down. I ignored him, continuing to lather cream on his back. I hesitated when I reached his waistband, knowing there wore sores there too, but I didn't really want to have to treat those. Angry Zuko was better than Angry, Embarrassed Zuko. I was glad when he snapped, "Don't you dare!" And tried desperately to slap my hand away from his bum. It was sort of cute. He was cute when he blushed.

I wanted him to do it again. I wanted to see his face burn up in that cute little blush that Mai said she loved. I shook my head frantically, trying to snap out of it. He was in love with Mai. I was not going to interfere with that. Even if I was the one to comfort him, not her.

"What?" I squeaked, keeping up the innocent charade that I used to seem aloof. Zuko scowled at me, attempting to push himself off of my bed. I didn't know where he thought he was going, but it didn't really matter. As soon as he was standing, he went rigid. I knew just from looking at him that he was trying to fight the pain.

I steered him back down, ignoring his cries of protest at being commanded by a 'circus girl'. We sat in silence for a while, just staring at each other. Eventually, he seemed to grow tired of silence.

"Why do you have so much medicine?" Zuko asked bluntly, gesturing to the large drawer of medications.

I didn't think about my answer, stating, "You can never be too careful around your sister." I noticed his eyes widen in surprise, he obviously was expecting some stupid happy-go-lucky answer. Panicking, I quickly covered up my slip. "And, Um, it's for the little birds outside!" I said hastily. I relaxed when his expression returned to normal. I hoped he would forget about it by morning.

* * *

Zuko had fallen into a restless sleep sometime during the late hours of the night, leaving me alone in the dark. I had chosen to meditate, breathing in and out softly so I wouldn't wake him. In the hour before sunrise, I snuck over the the bed.

"Zuko." I whispered, softly touching his cheek in an attempt to shake him out of sleep. "Zuko, wake up, we have to get you back to the room."

He looked up at me, his eyes drooping as he silently tried to lift himself up. He looked so... innocent. It astonished me how someone with such a temper could have mellowed out enough to appear so innocent.

Clearing my mind of such thoughts, I said, "Come on, they won't be happy if they find you in here." I watched as he tried to stand, but I had forgotten about how weak the beating had made him. After he collapsed again, I helped him back onto the bed, ignoring his confused stare. That was the second time that night I had said something serious and smart.

"Don't carry me." He grumbled, striking out at me as I slipped my right arm under his knees. I smiled cheekily at him, tapping his nose with one finger before placing my other arm under his shoulders. Zuko scowled at me.

"Have you suddenly found the strength to walk?" I asked, trying my best to look innocent. He struggled against my grasp, and I gasped as he almost fell to the ground. Gripping him tighter, I shot him a dirty look before placing a finger to my lips. He begrudgingly obliged, keeping silent as we snuck down the hall. We both held our breath, desperately hoping that Azula and Mai were still asleep.

Once we turned the corner, I let out a relieved sigh. It was followed by a similar sigh from Zuko. I glanced away from the hall down to the boy in my arms. It was hard to call someone I was carrying in my arms a man. It didn't help that he was pretty much my personal slave.

* * *

When I sat Zuko down on the table, I noticed that the crop Azula had used to beat him was still there. I picked it up, looking at the dried blood that crusted the end.

"Here, wanna see?" I asked, flipping the crop around so the handle faced Zuko. He flinched when the leather grazed his hand, and I saw pain flash across his face. He shifted nervously, mumbling something incoherent as he looked away.

"Okaaay." I said, putting the crop down. It was hard not to notice how he held himself. Head bowed, back straight, and legs dangling over the edge of the table. He seemed defeated and regal at the same time. He hadn't even said a word and he impressed me.

Zuko shifted forward from his sitting position, moving so he was just barely touching the floor. I helped him off the table, and he nodded to me. I gave him a small smile, watching as he curled back into himself.

Sighing, I turned away and walked out the door. I hurried back to my room, thanking Agni that no one was awake. I hoped Zuko was okay. I wished I could help him through what Azula was going to do to him.


End file.
